Chapter 209: When Shadows Steal Kings
Chapter 209: When Shadows Steal Kings
The final note of the orchestra still trembled softly like an echo when silence overtook the ballroom.
Every demon present stared.
Awe lingered in their expressions. Shock followed close behind it.
The dance had not merely been graceful. It had not merely been impressive.
It had been perfect.
The queen had moved as though she had been born to that floor, as though the music itself bent to her will. And the king—lazy, detached, ever-absent Zorathys—had not only danced... he had led the dance too.
There was also the fact that he had smiled, like he was enjoying the dance—and not just once.
That alone unsettled half the room. The only time Zorathys smiled at them, or even smiled in general, was when he was planning to destroy a demon.
For centuries, gatherings like this had followed a predictable pattern. The king rarely attended. When he did, he stood in shadowed corners, wine in hand, gaze distant and bored, barely holding back a yawn. Sometimes, he even slept at a corner, making everyone present cease speaking because if the king heard even a little bit of noise as he slept, they would cease to exist.
If he wasn’t asleep, then he would spend only about five minutes—ten at most—and he would vanish.
Demons loved to party, and they loved gatherings like this, but the king did not care. He would rather sleep peacefully than attend a party.
He did not dance.
He did not linger.
Yet tonight he had remained long past five minutes. He had not only danced, but he had drawn the queen close in front of them all. His shadows had flared. His power had been displayed openly—not in threat, but in spectacle.
And he had looked as though he enjoyed himself.
That was what truly shook them.
Across the ballroom, whispers rippled.
—
Near one of the marble columns, Ysera stood beside Ignivar, her eight tails flowing in quiet, controlled sways behind her.
Her ember-tipped fur glowed faintly beneath the chandeliers as her eyes remained fixed on the royal pair at the center of the room.
"You were not lying," she murmured at last, her voice low and thoughtful. "When you said the king liked the queen."
Ignivar did not answer immediately.
His molten-gold eyes remained trained on Zorathys, studying him with a depth few dared to.
Finally, he nodded once.
"I was not."
Even he appeared unsettled.
Ignivar had known Zorathys the most amongst all the demons here. He had seen him ruthless, indifferent, terrifying beyond reason. He had seen him bored while entire territories trembled.
But this expression... it was even softer than the last one Ignivar and Naviel had seen him display. He was less guarded, and he indulged the queen too.
Ignivar exhaled slowly. "I did not expect him to dance."
"Nor did I," Ysera admitted. Her fox ears twitched faintly. "He looked... content doing so."
Ignivar’s gaze flickered briefly toward her.
"Yes."
"Seeing how the queen is taking over," Ysera said, then turned to look at Ignivar directly. "Are you still going to give me the excuse of always working? From what I know, the queen is the one doing all the work now."
"I’m not free even with the work she’s doing. She helps, but the king would have my neck if Naviel or I left everything to her," Ignivar told her.
"So you are still going to be sleeping at the palace every chance you get," Ysera said with a nod.
"Ysera..." Ignivar said softly, but she shook her head.
"Let’s not focus on our issues, Ignivar. Nothing I say or do will make you stop working for the king or put me and your son first, after all."
Ignivar looked down at her words. "You know I—"
"I don’t know anything except what I see, Ignivar. And like I said, let’s just focus on the ball," she told him.
Ignivar paused, then nodded. He was quiet for a while. He wanted to reach out to her and hold her in his arms like before, but he knew she wouldn’t let that happen unless she was—
"You know what? Even if we are not together, you still have to do your job. I have an itch I need you to scratch, so come with me," she told him.
Ignivar could not stop the smile on his face as Ysera led him toward the balcony.
—
On the opposite side of the ballroom, beneath a cascade of violet drapery, Seraphielle leaned into her husband with a dreamy sigh.
Guilidern’s skin gleamed under the chandeliers as his sharp eyes followed the king’s retreating form with open admiration.
"That," he murmured, "is a sight I would not have minded experiencing firsthand."
Seraphielle hummed softly in agreement.
"Extremely handsome," Guilidern continued thoughtfully. "Terrifying. Unreachable. Just the sort we adore."
Seraphielle’s lips curved.
"Indeed."
There was no shame in their tone. Succubi and incubi were creatures of desire and indulgence after all. Power attracted them. Fear thrilled them.
"And yet," Guilidern went on with a faint sigh, "he is... unavailable."
Seraphielle tapped her chin, eyes narrowing slightly as she considered.
"Yes. The king is out of reach." Her gaze shifted toward Elyn. "But the queen..."
Guilidern followed her line of sight, interest sparking anew.
"The queen," he repeated slowly.
Seraphielle’s smile sharpened.
"If we cannot claim the king, we might at least be granted a taste of the queen."
Guilidern’s eyes darkened with delight.
"Even a kiss," he mused.
"Even that," Seraphielle agreed smoothly. "Would be appreciated."
He leaned closer. "Is your plan still in place?"
Her smile did not falter.
"Of course."
Guilidern’s expression brightened with wicked anticipation.
"Our child?"
Seraphielle nodded.
"The queen likes children," she said lightly. "It is obvious. We will simply allow ours to ask sweetly. Convince her to grant us... a chance."
Guilidern exhaled in satisfaction.
"A clever approach."
Seraphielle’s eyes gleamed.
"We are nothing if not persistent."
"You, my love, are the best thing to ever happen to me."
Seraphielle laughed at that, her eyes beaming with pride.
—
At the far end of the ballroom, Aurelixa stood poised beside Xaleron, her nine white tails fanning gently behind her in dignified arcs.
Xaleron adjusted his glasses with one gloved hand, his seven black tails swaying in slow, thoughtful rhythm.
"It is... unexpected," Aurelixa said quietly.
Xaleron inclined his head.
"That the king treats her with such visible respect," she continued.
He nodded again.
"I am surprised as well."
His black-and-white eyes tracked Zorathys carefully.
"It is as though he becomes someone else when he is near her."
Aurelixa folded her hands before her.
"Ignivar was correct," she said. "The king is changing."
Xaleron’s tails swished once.
"He is still frightening."
"Undeniably so, love."
"But," he added, adjusting his glasses again, "he is less so when he stands beside the queen."
Aurelixa considered that.
There had been no fear in Zorathys’ expression during the dance. No calculation. Only something dangerously close to... fondness.
Xaleron’s lips curved faintly.
"I like her."
Aurelixa’s head turned sharply toward him.
His ears flicked once. "Oh? Don’t tell me you’ve become like those vile succubi and incubi demons who lust after everything and everyone beautiful."
"Sweet fox, that’s not it," he clarified with a soft chuckle. "It is a platonic admiration."
Her gaze lingered on him for a moment longer before she nodded.
"I understand."
After a pause, she added quietly, "I like her as well."
Xaleron smiled faintly at that.
There was something disarming about the queen. Something genuine. She did not wield power like a weapon. She wore it as though she were still learning its weight.
And that made her dangerous in ways few yet understood.
—
At the center of the ballroom, the silence remained unbroken.
Zorathys still held Elyn, but this time she was standing on her own two feet, her gaze still locked on his. Her breathing had begun to steady.
He studied her for a long moment, ruby eyes unreadable beneath the crystal light.
Around them, demons waited. Many of them wanted to speak with the king and the queen. And it was customary that those who had not yet introduced themselves could approach them.
The line of nobles had already begun to shift forward, sensing the end of the performance.
Zorathys’ gaze flickered once across the room, and he had an irritated look on his face.
A murmur began at the edge of the crowd as the first demon stepped forward, but he never reached them.
The shadows moved first.
They rose from the floor, coiling around the king and queen.
A collective gasp filled the hall.
Several demons that had gathered instinctively stepped back.
The shadows tightened their embrace.
Zorathys did not look at the approaching nobles. He did not offer farewell or explanation.
He only glanced down at Elyn.
For a heartbeat, something unreadable passed between them.
Then the darkness swallowed them whole.
The space they had occupied moments before stood empty.
"There goes my chance," one demon said with a shake of his head.
And just like that, the music began again.